He's Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!
by stevieLUVSAlex
Summary: Olivia is faced with new emotions when Richard White re-enters her life... how will Elliot help her through? Will their friendship be broken over differences? Or will the REALITY of their partnership withhold. Please R&R :
1. Chapter 1

_**Hi all… You know the drill. I don't own any of these characters… they belong to Dick Wolff… enjoy… and please R&R!!!**_

**A**nother day. Another case. Another pedophile. Another rapist. Olivia rolled over with a sigh as she reached over to switch off the alarm clock. Every morning she contemplated the same thing… handing in her badge. It wasn't easy to work the same sex crime cases day after day, it got tiring, it got hard and sometimes, when they didn't catch the perp, it got extremely frustrating.

What was the point when no matter how many perps they locked up, there were still so many of them out there… so many criminals that attacked women and children, so many sickening crimes that didn't seem to get better with time, but worse.

As she dressed for work, she found herself thinking of Elliot Stabler – her partner and best friend. She didn't understand how he could do it day after day, when he had a wife and children. The job affected them both VERY differently. Olivia and Elliot often got into debates, especially when Elliot used the I'm-the-longest-relationship-you've-ever-had-with-a-man card and on the rare occasion she had to agree with him, but it didn't mean her gut was wrong.

Olivia was a hard-core cop. She worked hard, more than most, and because she had no family her attention was on her job ALL the time. And that worked in her favor most of the time. When any of her co-workers went home to their families or lives they had built for themselves outside the precinct, she stayed behind and worked on a case – the victim's were her first priority, for a short time, they were her family.

When Olivia walked into the station after seven, dressed in black slacks, a red lycra V-neck top and her favorite leather jacket and sat down at her desk, there was a cup of hot coffee waiting for her, along with a note. _._

MEET ME IN THE CRIB.

She didn't have to wonder who it was from, and with a smile, she took her hot coffee, sipping it on the way and made her way to the room they all called THE CRIB. A room that was used for lockers, and beds, the place the cops went to get a few minutes of slumber when they'd been on a case for more than 48 hours at a time.

When she opened the door, she found Elliot sleeping on one of the beds, she watched him for a moment, in awe of how he managed to keep it together for the most part. Besides his quick-temper he was a good guy, he was compassionate towards the victims, and fair with the perps. Olivia admired him for many reasons, but mostly because she trusted him, and she trusted NO other man. She didn't have to ask how he felt about her, occasionally they reminded each other with a gesture – of saving the other's life when they should have been chasing the suspect. Elliot was Olivia's best friend and she was his, even his wife worried sometimes how close their relationship was. Despite the fact that there was nothing going on between them, nor had there ever been. There's was a bonded partnership that went beyond business, but never crossed the line, it was a rare find and strictly platonic.

"Elliot," she whispered softly so that he didn't jump ten feet in the air if he was asleep. There was nothing worse than being jolted awake when you'd been asleep only minutes and needed the rest.

Despite her attempt, Elliot instantly bolted awake opening his eyes and taking a moment to realize where he was. "Oh hey…" he sat up and rubbed his eyes. "You been here long?"

"No," she answered.

He yawned. "Hope you got more shut-eye than me," he climbed off the bed and he led her back out to the office. Elliot grabbed a file from his desk and handed it to Olivia.

"What's this?" she glanced over the file and her eye caught the familiar description of a case she'd worked on more than six years ago. She was still a junior in the Special Victims Unit at the time. She looked up at Elliot and frowned. "Oh my God, when did this happen?"

"Yesterday," he replied without hesitation. He knew how she was going to react to the case, that was why he had wanted to be the one to give her the file.

"When did White get released?" she was talking about prison.

"The day before yesterday," he nodded. He was thinking the same thing.

"The son of a bitch is at it again," she mumbled to herself. "When did this file come in?" she asked holding it up. She could already feel the tension building in her body, she couldn't help it, this guy was NOT just another perp, he was fixed on Olivia.

"It came in early this morning," he replied.

"Are we assigned to the case?" she asked with intense interest. "Did the Captain give the O.K. to take it over?"

Elliot shrugged looking towards the door. Don Cragen waltzed into the squad room like he owned the place and approached Olivia and Elliot.

"Benson…" he nodded as a greeting.

"Captain," she responded. "Do we get the case?"

"I don't think so," he looked unsure of himself.

"Come on, Captain," she pleaded. "You know this guy wants me."

"Yes I do," he agreed. "And that's why I think it's a bad idea. You've pissed this guy off, Olivia, he wants you and he will stop at NOTHING."

"He's gonna expect me on the case, and if I'm not, he'll think I'm scared of him… please, Captain, reconsider."

"No," he answered. "I'm gonna question him myself, you can watch if you like but your not coming in the room."

Olivia nodded.


	2. Chapter 2

**I**n the interview room, Cragen was eyeing Richard White with dark eyes and impatience. "You've barely been out of prison 48 hours," he pointed out.

"Where's detective Benson?" he asked ignoring his comment. Olivia's heart rate increased at the mere mention of her own name.

"Busy," he said vaguely. "You're dealing with me now! Where were you yesterday between 7 am and 9 am?" Cragen wasn't interested in playing his game and White was aware of that.

"Has Detective Benson been thinking about me?" he smiled. "I've spent a lot of time in prison thinking about her…"

Cragen was turning red from controlling his temper, and both Olivia and Elliot could see that he was only seconds from loosing it. "Listen, you dirt bag, you need to answer my questions and forget about Detective Benson."

"Does she forget about me?" he challenged.

"Where were you between 7 am and-"

"I heard your question. I won't speak to anyone but Detective Benson, so save your breath." White was intent of having his mind games with her, and only her.

"I told you she's busy," he snapped. "If you don't answer me I assume you are guilty, you have no alibi and this pattern is yours," he held up a gruesome photo of his latest victim. "Remember her?"

White looked towards the mirror knowing full well that she was out there watching him. "Olivia…" he sang. "I'm waiting…"

Cragen said nothing else. He simply turned and closed the door behind him, uttering nothing until the sound-proof door was closed. "He won't talk. Elliot, I want you-"

"Captain," Olivia begged. "Let me give it a shot. He wants me in there, you know he does, he's asking for me."

"I don't want you in there with him. Last time he caused you too much trouble, what if we have to let him go again?"

"Captain, give me a chance…" she was pleading with him. "White isn't going to talk to anyone else, but me, he's been waiting for this moment for six years. You know I've been thinking about him for a long time, let me lay it to rest… please."

Cragen nodded reluctantly. "Are you going to be able to handle it objectively?" he questioned.

Olivia sighed. "Captain, I can handle it."

"Elliot?" Cragen waiting for his approval, if anyone knew Olivia it was him, he knew her capabilities and he knew her strengths and weaknesses on the job.

"I'll stay with her the whole time, Captain, no need to worry," he promised.

Olivia frowned. "Elliot," she snapped. "I can handle this without you, I have no desire to hold your hand. I can break him," she stated. Sometimes when he tried to be protective she got angry, she wasn't a child, and she didn't need his blessing to carry on a case she had started. She was well equipped to handle it alone if she had to, and the idea that he thought she needed a baby-sitter put her back up.

"I know," he said honestly. "But it wouldn't hurt you to have someone as back-up, I'm offering," he tried to make it sound like he was casually doing her a favor.

Olivia shrugged. Cragen wouldn't have let her take the case alone, and at least Elliot knew the ins and outs of the case, she didn't need to fill in the blanks. "Fine," she agreed. "But let me do the talking."

"Okay," Elliot nodded giving his approval.

Elliot walked in first, causing White's head to turn and see who would be questioning him. He looked disappointed until he saw Olivia follow behind her partner.

"Olivia…" he beamed excitedly like a kid with a new pony. He looked her over. "You look good. Still dressing the same I see, you are still as beautiful as ever."

"Thank-you," she smiled as if she accepted the compliment as real, as long as she played his game, he'd talk. "This is your handy work, isn't it?" Olivia insisted staring down at White as she shoved a heinous photograph of what she assumed was his latest victim, right under his nose.

He flinched. "Do you still think of me, Olivia?" he asked ignoring her question.

"Nope. I don't have time to think of you… it's wasted space in my head," she answered calmly. "So did you stalk your latest victim first… find out where she likes to eat out, what their favorite chocolates are… did you send her flowers?"

"Oh Olivia," he sighed lightly as he looked at her with a smile. "I didn't realize you were jealous. I'll give you more than chocolates and flowers once I'm outta here."

"I have no intention of letting you go anywhere," she stated matter-of-factly.

"Missed me that much, huh?" His smile was wicked.

"Where were you between 7 am and 9 am yesterday morning?" she asked.

"Thinking of you…"

"WHERE?"

"At home."

"You're lying," she said shaking her head.

"I'm clean now, Olivia, I've done my time. I'm a new man."

"You don't fool me!" she snapped. Against the wall, Elliot folded his arms and watched his partner wondering if she would eventually slam White's head through the wall. "You are incapable of being rehabilitated, you raped and murdered this girl," she slammed her fist on the photograph in front of his face but he didn't jump. Nothing seemed to scare him, which only angered Olivia further.

"Prove it," White shrugged leaning back in his chair unconcerned. "That's your problem, Olivia, you can't charge me and if you could I'd be locked up right now."

He was right. "Give me a DNA test," she suggested.

"Nope, you find the evidence to convict me, I won't hand it to you," he answered weakly.

"So you admit there's something to find," she said with fresh anger and a hint of hope.

"Nice try, Olivia." He smiled.

Olivia, who was far off from patient with him now, leaned down so that she was whispering in his ear. "You don't get to call me that," she said. "You don't get the privilege of calling me by my first name, nickname or any sick pet name you have for me. You call me Detective Benson, you got that?"

"Come on, Olivia, don't be like that… we know each other more than just casually. I know what makes you tick," he wasn't at all fazed by her comment and he clearly liked playing with her head, the problem was that he knew she was bugged by him.

Olivia forgot the promise she had made to the Captain about keeping her cool and grabbed hold of the back of White's head, and slammed it hard, only once, into the table, then she let him go. He lifted his head up showing the trickle of blood that ran out of his nose, he showed no sign of anger or annoyance but acted as if nothing had happened.

"Feel better?" he smiled ignoring the blood that made it's way down to his mouth.

"Much," she answered with a false smile. But she annoyed that he wasn't bothered by her assault. "Was it as good for you as it was for me?"

"Better," he responded.

A moment later Cragen opened the interview room door and Olivia knew she was in for it. "Benson, a word?" he demanded using his Captain voice.

Olivia looked to Elliot who seemed sympathetic and nodded encouragingly at her as she moved away from the suspect and towards the door. With regret she followed Cragen outside, and the moment the door of the interview room closed, Cragen let her have it. "I thought you said you could handle it?"

"I'm sorry Captain, it won't happen again," she promised. She had lost it and she was sorry she had, but she wasn't sorry that she had caused White an inch of pain, even if it were only temporary.

"No it won't," he said with conviction. "I'm taking you off the case."

"CAPTAIN?" she cried.

"He could have you charged for assault, Olivia, that is NOT how I operate my precinct and it's NOT how I expect my members to behave, no matter what the perp deserves," he said sternly.

"He wasn't hurt, he found it amusing," she pointed out. "Come on, Captain, you can't expect me to play nice with THAT creep!" she pointed to the glass where White and Elliot were easily visible.

"That's exactly how I expect you to behave," he challenged. "Until he is charged with these accusations, you have to treat him like you would any other suspect."

"And do you think he's gonna admit he did this if Elliot or I play by the rules, come on Captain, you know him?!" she exclaimed.

"I know the law," he replied.

"He wants to get caught," Dr. Yaung interrupted standing beside them at the two-way mirror looking in on Elliot and White. He was the squads FBI agent and Psychiatrist and seemed to know what reaction the perp had to most every situation, he had never been wrong. It was what he had been studying for years and seemed to know the suspects well enough for the job.

"See," Olivia replied to the Captain before turning back to Dr. Yaung. "He'll tell me eventually, right?"

"I'm not sure that's what he wants," Dr. Yaung admitted. "Olivia, you are his toy, he likes messing with your head and playing by the rules is something he can see you avoid when it gets too hard… he's playing on that. He wants you to catch him out," he explained.

Olivia pulled a face. "You mean catch him raping a woman?" she was instantly disgusted.

"No," Dr. Yaung seemed amused by her response. For a woman she saw a lot for a cop, especially working sex crimes. "He wants you to catch him lying, when he knows you have him trapped in a corner and there's no way out, he'll talk."

"And how do you suppose I do that?" she asked. "He's going to deny any involvement to this rape and murder, like last time… he'll get a few years in prison, I want a needle in his arm."

"Get some evidence," he shrugged.

"You're a huge help," Olivia said to him with sarcasm. She turned and grabbed hold of the interview door handle as if she expected to return to her work.

"Olivia," Captain called. Olivia turned around. "Your NOT going in there," he reminded her.

"Captain," she argued. "I know him more than anyone else does. He wants ME to catch him out."

"If you can't handle this objectively, which you showed me you couldn't, you can't handle the case, end of story. Munch… Fin…" he said calling his two junior detectives. "Find out what White's alibi was when the latest attack occurred."

Both Detective's John Munch and Fin Tutuola sprung into action.

"Captain," Olivia pleaded.

"You are assigned to desk duty until further notice," Olivia frowned in disagreement. "You assaulted him, Olivia, your lucky I'm not suspending you. Now, I know you have a mountain of paperwork on your desk, it has to be done sometime," he ordered.

Olivia didn't argue and went to her desk to fill in the files of paperwork she had waiting for her, like any job, you had to take the good with the bad and nobody liked paperwork.

But Olivia could only think about White's case and the three months of hell she had spent thinking about him when he was locked up, wondering how long it would be until he got parole. She was beginning to believe he'd get away with it a second time, his chance to rape and murder women for years to come.

When Elliot returned to his desk late that night – it was after ten – Olivia's frustration switched to him. He was the only one she could vent her angry on.

"Why do you have to do that?" she demanded.

"What did I do?" he frowned picking up a file from his desk and looking back at her. He was not surprised to have this conversation, she was always accusing him of something. "The Captain asked me to question him," he said.

"You made the Captain think I couldn't handle the case," she accused. "I CAN handle it."

He shrugged not wanting to cause an argument. "It's just that this guy makes you tick, he knows it, I know it, you know it… even White knows it and he plays on that. You smashed the guys head into the table and broke his nose, Liv."

"The guy stalked me, Elliot. He's been in my head for six years," she argued. "I'm entitled to be a little pissed."

"Alright," he agreed. "And I'm just there to make sure you don't kill the guy."

"One less White in the world, won't be a great loss," she replied. She meant it. "Talk to the Captain for me, make him re-assign me," she begged.

"Nuh," he shook his head.

"Elliot…" she whined.

"No, Liv, I happen to think you need to take a breather from this one."

Olivia shook her head in frustration and stood from the desk, she grabbed her jacket and stormed out.


	3. Chapter 3

**E**lliot, Fin and Munch were all out when Olivia showed up at work early the next morning, in hope that the Captain had changed his mind about her doing desk duty. She sat down at her desk after making herself a fresh cup of coffee and set to work, waiting for the moment the Captain walked in and saw her 'playing by the rules' it might make him believe she had learnt her lesson and re-assign her to White's case.

"Morning, Liv," Elliot's voice came from behind her.

She didn't look up. "Hey… how's the White case coming along?"

Elliot hesitated. "The Captain ordered us to keep you away from it, we're not allowed to discuss it."

"That's ridiculous, Elliot," she cried in fury looking up at him with disapproval. He owed her something, he was her partner. "It was MY case. Just tell me… have you got anything yet?"

"His alibi is shaky," he admitted.

"ELLIOT!" the Captain's voice boomed from behind him. Not even Olivia had seen him approach, he had come out of nowhere. "I knew I couldn't trust you to keep this case to yourself. Has anyone told you what a bad secret keeper you'd make," he said with a light sense of humor.

"Sorry, Captain," he mumbled looking down at his desk and pretending to look through paperwork.

"It was my fault," Olivia stepped in. "I demanded he tell me. Captain, I've learnt my lesson, can you re-assign me to the case?"

"No," he said without hesitation.

"Boss, we could really use an extra pair of hands on this?" Elliot added.

"Three of you isn't enough?" he asked with interest and suspicion.

Elliot tried to avoid the question and for his loyalty to Olivia, she wanted to reach out and hug him, but she refrained, they didn't do that sort of thing. It wasn't part of the job, or their relationship. "You know White, Captain, he keeps us all on our toes."

"Fine," he agreed looking down at Olivia. "But if you screw this up again, I'm suspending you… under-stood?"

"Yes, Captain I understand completely," she smiled standing to join her partner. "I won't let you down again."

"Where do you expect to start?" Cragen inquired.

"Elliot said his alibi was shaky, if we can get a warrant for his DNA, he's ours," she said believing it could be that easy.

Cragen shrugged. "Give it a shot."

An hour later Olivia and Elliot had gone their separate ways. Elliot had suggested he retry the few people who associated with White and inquire if he had an alibi at the time of the assault and murder and see if he could break them down if any of them were suspicious. Olivia was in Casey Novak's office arguing with her about getting the warrant for a DNA test.

"We can't take DNA from every former criminal?" Casey reasoned. "If we did that no one would get a fair trial."

"White doesn't deserve a fair trial, Casey, he raped and murdered several girls in the past, and only got 6 years in prison, he should have been executed! He's out of jail for less than 48 hours and he's already at it again, those victims are dead, where's their fair trial!" she flared. "I know he did this."

"How do you know?" she questioned sounding like the DA she was, always waiting on the facts of the evidence and not on a cop's word.

"It's in my gut," she told her.

"The judge won't buy that, he won't give me the warrant for DNA on your gut feeling…"

"There has to be something you can do to force him to take a DNA test?" she begged. "Please… Casey, this guy made my life a living hell for months, he rapes and murders women without remorse, and he's gonna get away with it. I want him."

"I'm sorry, Liv," she said without emotion. "My hands are tied."

"Can't you call in a favor?" she was desperate to prove White was the guy who did this, there wasn't a doubt in her mind.

"I'm out of favors since working with you people," she said with a tone of annoyance. "I have none left… I'm in debt." The SVU team expected her to do too much sometimes, and she was only one person.

Olivia sighed heavily. "Do you even care about White's victims?" she accused.

"Olivia," Casey was close to loosing her patience. "Do you know how many victims there are in the world?! I can't care about them all to the point of jeopardizing me career, and am I expected to save them all with favors?" she questioned.

"No," she said with a heavy heart. "Just this one. Get this DNA for me…"

"Sure and you'll tell me you'll never ask me to call in a favor again," she mumbled turning to leave. "I'll talk to the boss and see what I can do… maybe we can get the DNA for a suspicious alibi. Don't be disappointed if I get laughed out of the office."

Olivia trusted that Casey could pull this off, she believed Casey was as good a lawyer as Olivia felt she was a cop. Both got into the job for the same reason – to rid the world of injustice, even if it was only one person at a time.


	4. Chapter 4

**A**s she knew it, Casey got the warrant and Olivia was only too happy to watch it get done, she stood beside White and watched Melinda take the swab of his mouth with what looked like a large cotton ear-bud. White squirmed looking extremely anxious.

"Nervous?" Olivia smiled.

"A little," he replied. "Do you have to stand so close to me? I'm not sure if I should reach out and hold your hand and pull you onto my lap or if you just love me so much you want to be near me…" he was mocking her.

Olivia smirked. "Joke all you want, once this DNA sample comes back, your MINE," and she wasn't at all bothered by the remarks he was making, she knew he was going to be behind bars in a matter of hours and she'd certainly be able to sleep easier knowing their was one less White in the world.

"Now, now, now," he answered looking up at Olivia with a soft smile. "If you want to be alone with me, all you had to do was ask… you know I've always had a thing for you."

"Yeap," she agreed with a nod. She knew only too well. "And you'll have plenty of time in jail to think about me," she told him.

White didn't even flinch. "I wouldn't get too excited about that if I were you…"

Olivia leaned down and whispered in his ear. "Oh, we'll get you, you son of a bitch and you'll spend the rest of your days with rapists and pedophiles, you'll have of fun," she promised. Olivia believed with all her heart that he was guilty and that the DNA to the victims would match his.

"I don't know what you're talking about…" he was doing his best not to smile. This angered Olivia, but she didn't respond to him, she had given her word she wouldn't mess up again and her sole purpose in life was to lock away rapists and pedophiles juts like him. Olivia had no desire to let him break her.

Olivia took him back to the interview room sat down in the chair, she had agreed to sit with him and wait while they fast-processed the DNA. She hoped that he'd want to talk and eventually admit he was guilty, she wanted to know what made him do it. But her only wish was that he got the death sentence. She watched him with suspicion waiting for him to make a move so that she could justifiably smash his head on the table again. The mark she had left him a few days before was healing well.

Finally the door opened and Elliot poked his head around and looked at Olivia, there was something in his eyes when he looked at her… disappointment. "We have the DNA results," he said and shut the door.

Olivia stood up and followed him out, leaving White alone in the interview room. and when she looked at Elliot, she knew it had gone wrong. "What?" she asked as she prayed they'd caught him.

"The perp used a scouring brush to wipe away any DNA that might be there… we have nothing, Liv."

"What do you mean, nothing?" she said with anger. It wasn't him she was angry with, but the frustration of not having White executed.

"He cleaned up well, he didn't leave a trace of anything," he shrugged looking as disappointed as Olivia felt. "We can't prove it was White… the only way we can get him is through a confession."

"Fine, let's get one! she said with determination returning to the interview room, Elliot followed her in and stood in the corner a little worried that she might do something to cause the Captain to get mad. Elliot believed that White was one of the few that pushed Olivia's buttons and when she was pushed, she shoved back. Elliot liked having her for a partner and had no desire to loose her to a guy like White.

Olivia had a plan. She pulled up a chair and sat as close to White as she could stand, she could make out every freckle on his face, every flaw, every wrinkle. "Do you wanna start talking?" she smiled as if she had caught him.

"Not really," he replied avoiding her eyes.

"It might reduce your sentence if you admit more than what we have on your DNA. If you talk we might consider a deal of a LIFE sentence and take the death penalty off the table." Olivia was in no position to make a deal, that was the DA's job, not a cop. All she thought was catching him out, she didn't care how she did it, she'd deal with the repercussions later on.

"You have nothing…" he smirked leaning back in the chair with a look of satisfaction.

"Is that so?" she wasn't finished pretending yet.

"Face it, Olivia, you never were a good liar. If you had what you wanted, you would have me in handcuffs already…" he stood then and brushed his hands together as if removing dirt. "I gather this is my cue to leave. You have nothing, and I'm tired."

Olivia could feel the anger rising within her, she stood up and got right up in his face. "I know you did this you bastard, and I'll get you eventually, the next time you screw up, the next time you make one itty bitty mistake… and you will, because you're a loser… your mine."

"I'll be yours tonight," he flirted wickedly. "I'll give you a call, Olivia… wait by the phone." Before she could respond to that, he turned and walked out the door. Olivia clenched her fists in rage. He was free to rape again and again, but she knew, in the depth of her stomach, no matter if DNA couldn't prove it, she knew he did it. He raped and killed those woman.

"I hate that bastard!" she cursed once he was out of the room. Elliot sighed behind her. "I won't be happy till he's executed."

"Don't let him get to you, Liv…" Elliot warned. "He wants that, it's what he's waiting for, and he'll use it against you, you know he will."

Elliot left the room, leaving her standing there with his comment flooding through her mind.


	5. Chapter 5

"**C**ome on, Liv, I'll give you a ride home," Elliot offered as the day drew to a close. Olivia was doing paperwork at her desk when Elliot approached her.

"Nuh," she declined. "Thanks. But I'm gonna hang out here for a while and finish this paperwork. I'll take a cab home." Elliot had been driving Olivia home since they started as partners nine years before. Occas-ionally she took a can home and there wasn't a problem. But since Richard White had been freed from the charges of rape and murder, Elliot worried that he might start stalking Olivia again, he wouldn't leave her to take a cab alone – NOT tonight.

"No you won't," he argued. Olivia looked at him and frowned. "I know your big enough and ugly enough to take care of yourself-"

"Good," she interrupted before he had a chance to finish his sentence. "So I'll see you tomorrow."

"Olivia," he sighed. "You know what White is like, we went through this last time, just… let me do my job, grab your stuff and I'll take you home."

"Your job?" she asked. "Your job is to catch the bad guys, Elliot."

"Yes, that too, but as your partner and best friend, it's always my job to look out for you… that's my job and in reverse when I have something going on in my life, you are there for me, aren't you?" Olivia didn't answer. "Get your stuff!"

Olivia knew it was out of care and friendship that he worried about her, but for as long as she could remember, Olivia looked out for herself. She didn't need a baby-sitter and she resented the fact that he thought she did.

"Go home, Elliot. Have Kathy and the kids seen you at all this week?" she questioned hoping to sidetrack him so he'd leave her at the precinct.

"Once or twice," he smiled knowing what she was doing. "And they'll see me in a while. I'll drop you off first and then head home to my family, stop arguing with me and get your stuff or I'll drag you out by your hair," he threatened playfully.

Olivia pulled a face. "Do you have to be a pain in the-"

"Yeap. Do you?" he shot back.

"Yes," Olivia sighed as she grabbed her paperwork from the desk and followed him out to the dark-blue Sedan. The two of them made use of the time it took to drive to her place, chatting animatedly about diaper duty and Kathy and the kids. And when Elliot pulled the car up in front of Olivia's apartment, she turned to him with a smile. "It's not that I don't appreciate your concern…" she started.

"You just want to be difficult," he replied. Olivia reached for the door handle as she juggled the paper-work in the other hand. "Blink the lights when you get inside," he ordered.

"You're gonna sit out here all night until I do, aren't you, you stubborn bugger?" she laughed.

"Yes I am," he smiled. She knew he would. He was tired, having a newborn child was wrecking havoc with his sleep patterns and he barely got enough sleep before his son was born, not that he ever complained. He loved his family and he adored his newborn son, which Kathy had insisted they name after him. And the added burden of worrying about his partner's safety was making him feel exceptionally old. "I'll pick you up tomorrow."

"I can take a cab in the morning, it'll be broad daylight," she argued. "I don't want Richard White to make my life hell a second time… don't help him, Elliot."

"I'm not," he assured her. "I'm only trying to-"

"I know what your trying to do," she snapped. "I get it. You're worried about me, I'm grateful that you care, but if he knows he's winning, if I change my life to suit him, then… I might as well give up now and deliver myself on his doorstep."

Elliot smiled. "Do you have to be so dramatic?"

"Do you have to be so overprotective?" she challenged. "You know White wants control, that's his goal in life, and he isn't getting it from me. I know what I'm doing. I'll see you tomorrow… at the precinct," she added as if he needed a reminder.

Elliot shrugged looking defeated. "Okay," he nodded. "Sleep well."

"Say hi to Kathy and the kids." She climbed out of the car, closed the door behind her and a few minutes later she blinked the lights in the apartment – she was inside.


	6. Chapter 6

**T**he sound of ringing jolted Olivia from her sleep, and instantly expecting it was the Captain or Elliot, calling about a case that had to be attended to immediately, she answered it. And when she heard the voice greet her on the other end, she sat up instantly wide awake as the knots made their way to her stomach.

How did he get her number?

"Hello, Olivia… were you sleeping?" he asked with obvious interest.

"Where are you?" she replied.

"Outside your apartment, are you going to let me in?" he sounded husky. Olivia tried to control her breathing, she could feel the panic rising and she didn't want him to know that he was getting to her.

"Is this what you did to the girls you raped and murdered?" she demanded feeling angry now as she thought about the photos she had seen, it was the work of someone without a conscious. "I'm not afraid of you, Richard, you CAN'T control me. If that's what your intention is then you might as well give up. You won't break me."

"I'm waiting down stairs," he whispered. Then she heard the familiar dial tone – he'd hung up.

Suddenly alert, Olivia jumped out of bed and grabbed her gun, then with caution she slowly headed down stairs, her heart beating with each step she took. It wasn't easy being independent all the time, sometimes, she wished she had someone in the house… a roommate… a boyfriend… a husband. It wasn't easy to be alone. But she had work and she was grateful that she had Elliot, even if sometimes she had to argue about being her own person and looking out for herself, just knowing he was there was enough.

When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she aimed the gun in front of her, and pushed open the door, as if she was afraid that White would jump out of the bushes her gun was everywhere at once, pointing in all directions waiting for the moment when he'd come close enough for her to pull the trigger.

No one was there.

With relief, Olivia headed back upstairs, and for only a moment she contemplated calling Elliot, then she thought better of it. he would only worry further, there wasn't much he could do, if anything and she didn't want to wake Kathy and the kids, with a newborn they all needed as much sleep as possible.

She lay alone on her bed, wide awake, afraid to go back to sleep and when morning came she rose, showered and dressed for work. She was drinking her morning OJ when their was a knock on the door, and from lack of sleep she was more edgy than she would have been otherwise, instantly her heart jumped into her throat.

"Who is it?" she asked, her voice shaky.

"It's Elliot," the familiar voice answered through the closed door. She sighed softly and unlocked the door for him.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded in a light tone looking him up and down dressed in a dark suit and grey shirt and tie. She wasn't angry with him, she was far too tired for that.

"I was in the neighborhood, thought I'd give you a lift to work," he smiled. The same line he always used.

"Like you gave me a lift home because you were in the neighborhood," she smiled. Already she felt better just by knowing he was there to protect her if she needed him, the fear from the night before vanished.

"Something like that," he replied. He eyed the glass of juice in her hand.

"I'm not sharing my OJ with you," she said bluntly holding the glass to her chest.

"Fine," he shrugged making his way to her fridge. "I'll get my own." He never had been shy in helping himself and Olivia wasn't at all bothered, as far as she was concerned, being his partner meant her house was his. He helped himself to the Orange Juice and a glass and a moment later he put the empty glass on the breakfast board. "How'd you sleep?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I said good, so I might as well tell you Richard called…" she waited for the anger to come like a title wave, telling her she was stupid and should have asked for protection when she had the chance, the phones to be tapped.

"When?" he choked out a moment later looking deeply worried. He looked at her as if to find some evidence of assault.

"Midnight, maybe one," she replied. She hadn't remembered the time, but it certainly felt that late.

"What did he say?"

"Nothing useful," she said. "He was just trying to get a rise out of me. Said he was waiting downstairs but when I went down, he wasn't there."

"You went down alone?!" he cried. "Why didn't you call me?" he looked furious.

"And wake up Kathy and the kids," she said calm titling her head to smile at him. "Elliot don't be ridiculous."

"Ridiculous?! Olivia, handling this alone and being stubbornly independent, is ridiculous. You don't have to do this by yourself."

"I'm fine," she assured him.

He shook his head. "I don't believe you."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," she said with a warm smile and a little sarcasm, it felt good that someone was looking out for her. "I'm fine, really. Come on, we have another case waiting for us."

"You're a pain in the-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," she laughed as she led him out of the apartment and closed the door behind them. And so the day begins!


	7. Chapter 7

**E**lliot went behind Olivia's back to get a restraining order put on White for Olivia's protection and when she found out she didn't argue. It wasn't that she was glad he had done it, only that she was grateful he cared enough to make sure she was safe. It made her feel wanted and loved, and since loosing her mother years before, she had no one else but her co-workers, they were her family. Elliot really was the only man in her life.

As the day drew to a close, another perp, another case, another ending to the misery that life dealt out, Elliot made an offer to Olivia that she instantly declined. "You can stay at my place tonight," he said casually. "I spoke to Kathy, she's made up a place in the loungeroom, she's cooking dinner too."

"Elliot…" she sighed. "I never asked you to do that?"

"I know," he nodded. "I think you need people around you right now,."

"No I don't," she snapped. "And you can tell Kathy thanks but no thanks. I am perfectly capable of looking out for myself. Why do you always try to fix my problems?"

"I'm your partner-"

"Don't even go there," she stood from the desk and looked over at him sitting across from her. "You can't use that line every time you make a choice for me. You told me yourself, not to let him get to me."

"That was before he called you in the middle of the night," he argued. "You don't have anyone there to protect you, Liv."

"I have me. I don't need you to hold my hand. I need you to let me run MY life, MY way, I never tell you what to do in your marriage or how you should deal with one of your kids. You have a newborn to worry about… go home and deal with that."

"Kathy doesn't mind you staying over," he said as if that were the issue. "The house is already full. It's not a big deal."

"I mind, and it's a big deal," she barked, her tone of voice raising higher with each word. She was afraid to go home, but she was always afraid that if she allowed Elliot to look after her when she was scared then she would never be able to deal with anything alone. White wanted control, and she was deathly determined not to give it to him without a fight. "God, Elliot, stop trying to control what happens to me. If White wants to get me, he will get me, and there isn't a damn thing you can do about it. I'm NOT afraid of him," she wasn't really, only afraid of what he was capable of, Olivia had seen the remained of his victims when he was done with them – it wasn't pretty.

"Fine," he shrugged calmly. "I'll drive you home."

"I'll take a cab," she grabbed her jacket and easily swung it over her shoulders and slid her arms through with one clean swift. Like a pro. Without waiting to debate it with him, she took the keys from the draw and walked out of the precinct.

True to her word, she ignored the pleading of her partner to allow him to drive her safely home, and when she climbed into the cab and ordered the taxi to her apartment, he looked extremely unhappy as the cab pulled off the curb and onto the traffic. She'd deal with his mood tomorrow, all she wanted to do now was prove to herself that she was brave enough to deal with Richard White on her own. once he knew she was afraid of him, he'd know he had control and she was a goner – Olivia had no intention of giving him that satisfaction.

But what Olivia found when the cab pulled up to her apartment, was the dark-blue Sedan parked out the front, Elliot had followed her home. She paid the taxi driver and stormed up the front steps ignoring him altogether. But he followed her, intent on discussing her safety as if she were a small child and not a woman of thirty-nine.

"You can be as pissed as you want," he didn't sound like he cared what her attitude towards him was. "I have to make sure you were okay." Olivia didn't respond. "What if he was waiting for you on the front step with a shot gun," he reasoned.

Olivia turned on him, whirling around to face him front on. "Then he would have shot me and I'd be dead," she said with sarcasm. "I've been trained to protect myself, stop treating me like a child, Elliot."

"When you hear the word PARTNER, what springs to your mind?" he challenged.

"Trust," she answered without hesitation. "And right now, I don't trust you."

"Your right, that word springs to my mind too, so when my partner is in trouble, I have to know she can trust me to protect her… alright?"

Olivia couldn't argue that point. It was only her pride that had her back up. It wasn't that she didn't trust him, she was just angry and scared and she was taking out on the person she cared about most – he was all she had now, besides, a jailbird brother she never saw. "Go home, Elliot," she said icily.

Elliot nodded and got back into the Sedan as she entered the house and went inside.


	8. Chapter 8

**F**ace to face with Richard White was certainly NOT what she had been expecting, coming home and switching on the lights to be greeted by a man she both hated and feared, didn't ease the knots in her stomach caused by her argument with Elliot, it only increased them.

"What do you want?" she asked with an unsteady voice. It was hard to hide the fear from her tone when he had broken into the apartment and was standing in her lounge room. It was the last thing in the world she had expected when she walked through the door.

"You…" he smiled. "We really need to stop playing games, you and I, I know you want me too, you can't stop thinking about me."

"Get out," she ordered. "And I won't call the cops."

"You are a cop," he reminded her. His voice suddenly changed and he sounded husky. "It's time we consummated our relationship, don't you?"

Panic filled her already-knotted stomach and reached her pounding heart, she wished that Elliot had turned around and come back inside. "Stop wasting my time, Richard, I'm NOT interested and you will do well to remember that. I know you raped and killed those girls, and I know you think you're clever," her voice was shaky but she went ahead and said it anyway. "And I will catch you out, when you make the slightest mistake-"

"Blah, blah, blah… I've heard this all. Come now," he inched towards her and by reflex she took a step back. "Oh, hard to get, eh? I like that game too," he laughed.

"Stay away from me," now she wasn't afraid to show her terrified emotions, she was more afraid for her life than what he thought about scaring her.

"You want me…" he repeated in a low whisper as he took another step towards her. Olivia pinned herself against the loungeroom wall, and watched helplessly as he made his way closer to her. Her hand traveled down the side to grab her gun, and when her fingers went to grip it there was nothing there – she'd left it at the station house. She felt like she was paralyzed, unable to move any part of herself and when he reached her and guided his finger across her cheek, she tensed up, terrified of being raped.

She trembled uncontrollably. "Please don't…" she begged as the tears filled her eyes, she didn't want him to see the fear, or the tears that went unchecked down her face, but she was scared of him now.

"Oh…" he mocked her. "What happened to the woman with the temper, who could never be broken, who wanted me dead?"

"Please…" she pleaded. "Just let me go."

Richard White shook his head. "Nuh, I'm gonna have fun first." Olivia hadn't noticed the object he held in his hand and she couldn't tell what it was, it was too late to defend herself, without warning, he swung the object towards her as she tried to put her hands up as a defense and she screamed as loudly as her voice could take. The world went black.


	9. Chapter 9

awake, was the smell of chemicals – she was in a hospital. It took her a moment to open her eyes and focus and when she did, the first person she saw was Elliot. An instant flashback from the night before, hit her like a title wave and she embarrassingly, avoided his eyes. Another flash of what had happened in the apartment, hit her quickly after the first one, the pleading with Richard and the attack of something sharp, she didn't remember anything else…

"What happened?" she murmured.

"You were attacked by White in your apartment," he answered cautiously. "Do you remember?"

Olivia nodded. "Oh, God, did he…" she was afraid to ask, terrified of knowing the answer, if he had raped her she wasn't sure how she'd deal with that. She was still in awe of how her mother managed to keep her, Olivia being the result of rape. She knew it hadn't been easy.

"No," Elliot answered quickly setting her mind at ease. Olivia nodded in response to his answer. "I heard you scream and I ran up there, but he'd already attacked you with a child's baseball bat. I scared him off, he was gone before I reached your apartment, I'm sorry… he's still out there."

Olivia nodded.

"They have you on strong pain-killers, you woke a while ago and mumbled something incoherently before you went back to sleep."

"What time is it?" she asked with interest. She felt like she'd been sleeping for years.

"About four am," he replied without looking at his watch, he was watching her with sad eyes. An expression she rarely saw, if ever, when he looked at her.

"What are you doing here so late?" she questioned thinking about his wife. Would she be mad that, again, her husband was with Olivia.

"Keeping you company," he said simply.

"Elliot, you have a family that needs you," she whispered. Slowly, Olivia could feel every inch of her body awaken like she had woken one limb at a time. The pain came in waves, but she said nothing to Elliot.

"You'd do the same for me," he pointed out.

"Yes," she agreed. There was no denying that. "But I don't have a family to worry about me."

"Kathy knows I'm here, she urged me to stay…" he explained.

"I'm urging you to go home," she told him,

"I will," but he made no move to leave her, he only sat in the chair beside the bed and watched her carefully. "Are you okay?"

Olivia tried to smile, but it hurt. "You wouldn't believe me if I said I was."

"Your right," he returned the smile. "I wouldn't. I'm staying here a while."

"Elliot, go home," she ordered. Olivia was thinking about Elliot's wife and kids. "Kathy can't managed the newborn with four other kids on top of that, she puts up with a hell of a lot from you, but she's not superwoman."

"She's used to it," he said without regret.

Olivia hardly thought that was fair. "She shouldn't have to be, you can go home, you don't HAVE to be here…"

"Yes I do," he insisted.

"Elliot, really, thank you for being here, but you can go home now, you've done your good deed. You scared Richard away and I'm safe here."

"I'm gonna be stubborn too and say I want to stay with you," he reached out and took her hand gently in his own, they rarely touched, it was not who they were. Neither of them were overly affectionate people.

"I don't want you to stay," she pulled away from him. "Please, go home…"

"Let me just sit here!" he pleaded.

"No," she knew it was better if he went home to his wife – where he belonged. "No doubt you'll come back tomorrow… I'll see you then."

"You really are a stubborn little bitch, aren't you?" he wasn't smiling. He looked so sad.

"I am," she replied without emotion.

"I have to ask you some questions, Liv, about what happened in your apartment…" he said with caution.

"I need to rest, I'm tired." Gently she rolled over, clenching her teeth together in silent pain and closed her eyes.

"Tomorrow then," he whispered. A few minutes later she heard Elliot leave.


	10. Chapter 10

**T**hings between Elliot and Olivia changed after that, as the weeks passed and Olivia got better and eventually she was released and returned to work, the only time they communicated was when it involved a case. And never did they talk about Richard White, his name was never mentioned. Olivia had used the Captain to question him about the assault, and he was charged for brutal assault on a police officer and would serve a maximum of eight weeks in prison, minimum security, it seemed like a joke.

Olivia took a cab home every night, and not unnoticed, she saw Elliot's car follow her and once she was inside he disappeared again, no doubt, heading home to Kathy. It was not mentioned, what he did, they never argued about it, and Elliot never offered her a ride home, had he, she would have only refused it.

The relationship it had taken them nine years to build seemed to crumble over the weeks after the attack and the bond they once had no longer existed. They were colleagues, co-workers and partners with-out emotion. Though she never said it, Olivia missed her friendship with him, sharing her thoughts and opinions, sharing her passion for the job and listening when he spoke about the same things, adding Kathy and the kids to the conversation. Nothing personal was said between them since the late night at the hospital.

It was a Thursday afternoon, two and half months after Olivia's attack, when a young girl in her early twenties walked into the precinct and approached Olivia. Her hair was matted and she looked like she'd been in a fight with a vacuum cleaner. "I've been raped," she cried quietly with devastation.

Olivia reached out her hand to comfort the short blonde girl. "Let's go and talk somewhere more private," she urged gently leading her to an interview room. "Okay…" Olivia smiled encouragingly once both of them seemed comfortable enough.

"What do I say?" she asked unsure of the procedure it took to report a crime like that.

"Just be yourself," Olivia replied. "I'll ask you some questions and all you have to do is answer them honestly." The girl nodded. "Do you know who attacked you?"

"Yes," she answered. "Richard White."

Olivia's blood ran cold there and then and the blood drained from her face until she was a pale cream color. It was as if the whole world came to a stop at the mere mention of his name. Olivia still had a graze on her head that time hadn't yet healed. Richard had only been out of prison a week, she had kept track of his whereabouts, afraid that once he had his chance he'd be back for her, to finish the job that should have raped and killed her. When Richard had attacked Olivia, she'd been laying in the hospital bed with, three broken ribs, a fractured elbow an unrecognizable bruised face and a broken leg. She was lucky it hadn't been worse.

Unsure of what to do, she politely excused herself and approached Elliot's desk. "A woman in the interview room, is claiming she was raped by Richard White," she whispered unable to say the name any louder than that. Richard White still haunted her mind.

Elliot looked up at her without hesitation and his expression said it all, he stood from the desk and followed her back into the room where the victim was waiting. Elliot took over the interview, as the woman nervously told her story and Olivia stood back and listened.

"…When he was finished, he made me take a shower and then he scrubbed me vigorously with a scouring brush to make sure there was no trace of him left… then he… I think he was going to kill me, but someone came to the door, and it scared him away, he threatened me not to go to the police or he'd come back for me," she said in obvious terror.

"Do you think you can identify him in a line up?" Olivia asked with hope. All she wanted was one victim, enough so that White got a needle in his arm.

"Yes," she nodded.

When it was over and the woman was free to go home, Elliot and Olivia remained in the interview room. "All we have to do is get her to pick him out of a line-up and he'll be ours," Elliot told her.

Olivia sighed. "I want to get this bastard," she whispered looking at Elliot closely for the first time in two months, the way she did before Richard White had come back into their lives a second time. Surely, third time had to be the charm. They had to catch him on this.

"We will," he said with absolute calmness. "I promise." Olivia nodded, for some reason she believed him. Then he walked out without another word, leaving Olivia standing in the interview room trembling with the hope that the man who had attacked her and raped and killed several other woman would finally get justice.

An hour later, Olivia knocked on White's door, Elliot stood right beside her. And once he opened the door, she shoved her foot in the doorway so that when he tried to close it, he couldn't. Olivia stepped forward and smiled, reaching for her handcuffs.

"Olivia…" he tried to hide the surprise from his face but Olivia saw it there. "To what do I owe this wonderful pleasure?"

Olivia grabbed him forcefully and shoved him against the wall pulling one arm behind his back, Elliot grabbed hold of the other. He flinched in pain and Olivia cuffed him forcing his arm higher up his back. "This is indecent assault," he barked in pain.

"So sue me," Olivia replied completely un-phased by his comment. "I told you, you would screw this up… you made your last mistake when your latest victim alive, and she is going to pick you out a line-up. Just wait and see. Richard White you are being arrested for the rape of Alexandra Hall, you have the right to remain silent anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law, you have the right to an attorney, if you cannot afford one, one will be appointed to you…" Olivia shoved him hard towards the hallway and out the door.

Olivia offered to wait with Richard White, while they prepared Alexandra Hall for the line-up and when they were alone, he turned to her and smiled. "You sure are cute when you're scared," he said. "You were so far from the woman I see now, crying and begging for me to leave you alone… I thought you had more guts than that, Olivia-"

"It's Detective Benson, to you."

"I thought you were tough as nails, you told me you couldn't be broken, that you weren't afraid of me. Were you lying… Olivia?" he seemed satisfied in mocking her.

"You might have had me for a moment, but don't think for one minute I'm scared of you now, you son of a bitch," she cursed.

Richard was called into line-up. Olivia watched him go in and then went around to the other side of the mirror where she could watch him, and he couldn't see her. The victim identified him without hesitation and Olivia smiled, knowing it was almost over.

A few minutes later, Olivia, Elliot, Richard White and his attorney sat in the interview room across from each other. Casey Novak, who was prosecuting him stood beside the table. "I want a deal," Richard stated.

"I don't want to give you one," Olivia replied. "we only make deals for people who have something we want, and all we want fro you dead… you have an appointment with a needle in a while," she had to watch her tongue while Richard's attorney was sitting beside him.

"My client will drop the charges he's made against Detective Benson for indecent assault," Richard's attorney explained. Olivia frowned. "My client says she illegally arrested him with force, when he wasn't resisting."

"No," Olivia disagreed. "It's his word against mine. He raped four innocent woman, and killed three, that we know of, who knows how many other women are out there. No deal will change the fact that he'll be executed."

"We can go to the judge," he pointed out looking at Olivia.

Casey allowed Olivia to decide what she wanted the out-come to be, she knew how tough it had been in the last few months and she was happy to see him locked away or executed, either of them meant women were safer with him isolated.

"You've got nothing," Olivia shrugged. "I'll take my chances of being disciplined. My sole purpose in life is you OUT!" she told Richard.

Casey refused to make a deal.


	11. Chapter 11

**I**n the final sentencing, Richard White was convicted of four rapes, three murders and an assault on a cop. The judge decided the death sentence was just what Richard White needed. Olivia walked out of the courtroom feeling like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders, she no longer had to be afraid of him. The nightmare was over. In a matter of months he'd be dead, right now he remained behind bars in a maximum security prison on death row.

It was Monday lunchtime when they finally came out of the courtroom. "You wanna get some food," she asked Elliot. "I'm starved."

He shrugged. "Nuh, you go ahead. I have paperwork to finish off," he left without another word. Olivia stopped walking and watched him disappear of out of the courthouse building, her eyes following him with confusion. A moment later she felt a hand on her shoulder, she turned to see John Munch standing behind her.

"He just walked away…" she whispered. "I don't understand him anymore," she confessed to Detective Munch as they slowly walked out together.

"I'll eat with ya," he offered.

"Thanks," she smiled weakly.

Ten minutes later they were eating hamburgers at the nearest café. Olivia stared at her food for the most part, unable to eat now that she was thrown another curve ball.

"Penny for your thoughts," Munch asked taking another bite of his burger.

"It's Elliot," she answered with a low voice. "I mean before Richard White raped those three women, we were… different. Now he never talks to me, WE never talk about anything, we never eat together at café's anymore, he doesn't even offer to take me home."

"You know why, don't you?" he asked all-knowing.

"No," she frowned looking at her co-worker. "Do you?"

"He feels guilty, Liv, he put you in danger in the first place, months ago when you were in hospital he thought it was his fault."

"What?" she was confused now. "Why- How do you know that?"

Munch shrugged. "Guys talk. He said your last words were angry and hateful, and he had promised to look out for you, Olivia. You were close to being murdered and he had left you there on the doorstep, unaware that White was in your apartment," he explained as a way of letting her know how he knew so much. Olivia stood. "Where are you going?"

"To talk to Elliot," she said stating the obvious. Olivia left Munch there to finish his lunch, and she returned to the precinct to find Elliot.

He was predictably, at his desk. She sat down on the side of her desk across from him and watched him for a moment. "You okay?" she asked with concern.

"Yeah," he didn't even look up from his paperwork.

Olivia looked around the precinct, there was no way she could talk to him about this with too many people around, Elliot would never open up. "Can I have a word with you?" she asked. Elliot looked up. "In private?"

"What about?" he asked.

Olivia stood and headed for one of the interview rooms, Elliot reluctantly followed behind her. Once they were inside, Olivia closed the door and leaned against it, afraid that someone might walk in.

Elliot wouldn't even look at her. "Stop it!" she demanded causing the silent room to echo, just as well it was sound proof and no one outside the room could hear them without turning on the intercom.

"What?" he asked in confusion.

"Blaming yourself," she stated. "You didn't do anything…"

"That's exactly right," he said with his head turned down, but his voice angry. "I didn't."

"Elliot," she responded, her voice calmer and softer than his. "You know what I meant, and if you want to be technical then you did do something, you saved me, he could have raped and killed me."

"But you were still beaten," he reminded her.

"You can't be held responsible for White's actions OR mine. It's okay, El… I don't blame you for what happened in my apartment."

"I know that," he answered. "But I should have-"

"No, Elliot," she interrupted. "I was being me and once I get an idea-"

"I know, you're a stubborn bugger," he smiled looking up at her, she could have sworn she saw glassy eyes.

"I am. So will you get over yourself and get on with the job? Treat this like you would any other case, isn't that what you always tell me when I get personally involved," she reminded him.

Elliot disagreed. "How the hell am I supposed to do that, Liv? You're my partner, you were in danger and you needed me to just do my job. Instead I went home to my family at the end of the day,"

"Yes," she nodded. "That's what you should have done." At the end of the day, he had his life and she had hers, and when they came together the next morning, it started all over again.

"And forget about you?" he questioned. "Is that what you expect?"

"Yes," Olivia felt that when the job was over, her life was her problem.

"Well I'm sorry, I can't do that. You are my partner, my job is also to look out for you and I intent to do that, with or without your blessing. It doesn't stop for me when the day ends, with this PARTNERSHIP comes a responsibility and for me, that means looking out for you when someone like White gets up in your face. I just messed up this time…" he looked disappointed in himself.

"You didn't mess up," she tried to console him but he wasn't buying her compassion. He didn't feel he was worthy of it.

"You were in the hospital for two weeks!" he said as if she had forgotten. "He could have killed you, and all I had to do was my job… make sure you were safely inside before I drove away. There wasn't even a point to me following you home, it was a complete waste of time!"

"Elliot," she pleaded. A look passed between them, a look that had never been there before. Neither one of them able to explain it.

"I have to talk to Casey about the Johnson case," Elliot announced breaking eye contact. "Let's just forget it." He stepped towards her to get to the door, but she wouldn't move out of his way – she was far from finished this conversation.

"No I wont forget it, this was my problem, and now it's over and you can move on and I can move on," she said.

"It's not that easy. I don't find it that easy," he told her with devastation. He reached passed her for the door handle, Olivia reached out and touched his shoulder, her eyes locked on his.

"Elliot, I miss you…" she whispered.

He stepped back then as if he had been slapped. "What?"

Olivia didn't care how desperate she sounded, she wanted her partner back, her best friend, nothing more, nothing less. "I miss you, I miss US, our friendship, don't you?" she questioned.

It took Elliot longer to answer her. "Yeah I do," he nodded.

"Then can we please just go back to the way it was? Forget White, he'll be dead in a few months and right now he can't hurt anyone. You did your job, you saved me from my worst nightmare, and I'll always be grateful to you for that, you weren't to know that he was up there."

"I should have made you stay," he said quietly lowering his head to stare at the floor. He had wanted to tell her this for weeks and now that they were alone in the interview room he couldn't stop himself, no one else could hear them. "But I was angry that you were being so stubborn."

"I'm okay," she confirmed. "It's over now."

"It could have been bad," he shook his head unable to believe she had come THAT close to loosing her life. He was aware that people died everyday, the cases he saw proved that, but he tried not to think he might lose those closest to him, whether it was his wife, his children… or Olivia.

"I know," she nodded finally understanding what had made him so distant over the last few weeks. Fear.

"I couldn't stand it if anything happened to you, Olivia," he confessed. "I couldn't take it."

"I know…" she felt the same, except that Elliot was all she had and Elliot had her and his family.

"If we've reached this point in our relationship, maybe we shouldn't be partners anymore…" he said reasonably.

"I don't believe you mean that…" she tried to hold back the tears. It had happened once before, he had walked away and she had asked Cragen to assign her to a new partner, in the end she had gone undercover with the FBI for a few months. But eventually, they had agreed that they belonged together, they made a good team, one of the best and the reason they did was because they had what others didn't have – trust AND heart.

"Why not?" he said bitterly. "We're too close, we're more than we should be, Liv, and it's wrecking the cases were assigned to. Our job isn't being done the way it should be."

"We catch the perp, don't we?" she asked.

Elliot nodded. "Most of the time."

"You can call us close if you want, but lately for me, that feeling's gone. We don't talk or eat together, you don't take me home anymore…" she smiled as if that was a huge factor in their partnership.

"And you want me to?" he asked in surprised.

"I'd like to have the option."

"Just so you can argue with me?"

"I'd like to have that option too," she said with a light sense of humor. "Look, I think what we had was brilliant, I loved our friendship. I loved hearing about Elliot junior and Kathy's comments about late nights and early mornings, I miss talking to you…"

"Yeah, I miss that too," he admitted honestly. "But that says we're too close."

Olivia disagreed. "No, it says we're the perfect team, we're passionate about the job and we work damn well together. We've never crossed a line… except maybe once, and everyone makes choices, some wrong, some are just… the way it happens."

"And if I put you before the job or you put me, where does that leave us?" he questioned.

"Here," she shrugged lightly touching his arm. "Where we belong."

"Yeah?" he looked unsure.

"Yeah," she nodded.

"Okay," he said opening the door open, he turned to leave and just as quickly he turned back and threw his arms around her, relieved that she was still with him, still alive. Olivia brought her arms around him and rested her chin on his shoulder, just for a moment as the tears formed in her eyes. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow then," he smiled pulling away. Olivia nodded and watched him disappear, a small smile came to her lips when she realized they were going to be okay.

They always were.

_Thanks for sticking it out until the end…_

_I wanted to write an SVU one where El and Liv ended up together, but in the end, it would have destroyed their relationship. If you are interested in something like that, on the romantic side, then please let me know. I am writing one, just for me, but I'm willing to share with whose interested…_


End file.
